When Ulises Ayala wanted to serve his new country in the armed forces, he was turned away because of his immigration status. Now as a naturalized U.S citizen he is a Captain in the Minnesota Army National Guard

Mr. Ayala was born in Ixtapa de la Concepción, Nayarit. A small town located near the Pacific coast of Mexico. As a child, he loved rainy days, playing with his friends, and enjoying the summers. Beginning with his father, his family members began moving to the United States one by one, but Mr. Ayala stayed in Mexico until he finished the sixth grade.

When the time came, Mr. Ayala crossed the border and joined the rest of his family in Fresno, California. Life in the United States was not what Mr. Ayala imagined it to be. His neighborhood looked nothing like the beautiful pictures his parents mailed to him, and there were new economic constraints that Ulises didn’t have in Mexico.

After he completed high school, Mr. Ayala wanted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps but couldn’t due to his undocumented status. He attended Fresno City College, got married, and moved to Minnesota. He began the application process for his green card. As soon as it came in the mail, Mr. Ayala joined the Minnesota National Guard, attended St Cloud State, and is now enrolled at Mankato State University in a Master’s program. He and his family live in St. Joseph, MN.